‘Break the rules and have fun’: Meet interior designer Jackie Tyrrell

Aileen Lee meets interior designer Jackie Tyrrell.

‘Break the rules and have fun’: Meet interior designer Jackie Tyrrell

Aileen Lee meets interior designer Jackie Tyrrell.

What’s your background?

I am from Kildare and have always been involved in design one way or the other, from poster design to stage sets as a teenager, learning how to do joinery and carpentry after school and working in the interior decoration world, which led me towards interior design.

Once I knew this was the field I wanted to pursue, I focused on my formal education, learning the skills required and studying the great architects and designers, which opens your mind to all the possibilities around you and within your career.

I am very lucky, I love my job, I get to use both my artistic and technical skills every day.

What’s a typical workday like for you?

Like any professional you schedule out your week, book in projects, trades and clients and hope everything goes to plan.

You can be on multiple projects at the same time and you are relying on so many elements of each project running smoothly.

If one small part is delayed that has a knock-on effect on all other parts, so it can be a challenge. If I am not onsite and project managing, I am sourcing, drawing, sketching and coming up with ideas.

Tell us about a favourite project you have worked on?

I am rewarded on every project. Getting into your client’s mind and producing a design scheme that they love is very rewarding.

Words can never really describe the emotion or look you may want in your home or the exact shade of colour you’re after, so to untangle that for someone is wonderful.

What’s your design style?

It’s eclectic. I like a mixture of lots of different styles, but I do lean more towards the Nordic or contemporary than the traditional.

What inspires your work?

I am surrounded by great design every day from beautiful wallpapers, furniture and lighting to stunning interiors on social media.

I am in love with architecture and enjoy nothing more than travelling to a city and walking the streets searching until the building I am looking for is revealed.

From Gaudi to Herzog & De Meuron, this is what inspires me, how they see environment and space, and their vision and single-minded belief in the process.

What’s your favourite trend at the moment?

I don’t really follow trends, I am very aware of them and have to be as part of my job, but I much prefer working with clients on a project where I am extracting the client’s style from them or working to a brief that is more individual and focused on the personal than on a trend.

What’s your most treasured possession?

I am a lover of art and have started a nice little home collection.

I love street art, one of my favourites is ADW, his work is not only beautiful but intelligent and relevant.

I also love Gay Brabazon’s work — through different media she explores myth, legend and nature, and her work evokes a lot of emotion and connection for me.

I enjoy the pieces I own but what I treasure most is family, friends and my dog, Snoop.

Your favourite designer?

We really have some great designers in this country of ours. It’s kind of like the music scene, it’s in our blood.

I don’t really want to pick just one person or designer, but I do love the work of interior designer Róisín Lafferty from KLD.

What would be a dream project for you to work on?

I would love to design the interiors of a yacht. You would have to consider things like movement, everything would have to be attached down in some way or slide-proof for those rough days at sea.

Intelligent storage, to hide or disguise all the engineering aspects of being on a boat with the aesthetics of a home, away from home.

When designing for smaller spaces, one uses tricks of the trade with lighter colours, recessed lighting and mirrors to make a space appear bigger while being mindful to keep everything lightweight.

Have you any design tips?

Break the rules. Try that colour a little darker than you might have, take the chance, have some fun.

www.jtd.ie

Facebook.com/JackieTyrrellDesign:

Instagram: @jackietyrrelldesign

Pinterest: @jtdesign123

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